Jakarta Extends Partial Lockdown Yet Again to Curb Covid-19 Spread

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has decided to extend the transitional period of the large-scale social distancing or partial lockdown in the capital by two weeks to August 13, as Covid-19 continues to run rampant.

Anies opted for the extension two days after large-scale social distancing was supposed to end. “I decided [to extend large-scale social distancing] after the situation in Jakarta failed to improve after two weeks,” he said of the step, which will come into effect July 31.

“On the contrary, Covid-19 cases have continued to spread in Jakarta.”

Also read: Jakarta Governor Remains Optimistic Despite Surge in Capital's Covid-19 Caseload

Anies noted that Jakarta’s positivity rate, or proportion between positive Covid-19 cases and the total number of tests, exceeded the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“[Jakarta’s] positivity rate is 6.5 percent, higher than the WHO standard of 5 percent. Even then that rate is lower [than the national average] of 13.6 percent,” he added.

“80 percent of PCR tests we carried out were used to find new cases, while the rest are used to test people who previously tested positive for Covid-19. But the purpose is the same, namely to find new cases that could be put in isolation.”

Jakarta’s transition large-scale social distancing was marked by the discovery of Covid-19 clusters, most notably in traditional markets and offices. Authorities in Jakarta has closed 45 traditional markets after 305 vendors were infected with Covid-19.

Also read: Return to Stricter Social Distancing Looms Large in Jakarta as Covid-19 Rages on

The development prompted Anies to deploy over 5,000 civil servants to monitor traditional markets.

Authorities in Jakarta also found Covid-19 clusters in 90 offices throughout Jakarta, starting with the discovery of a cluster at the RRI state radio station last week on July 24.

The outbreak hit 459 workers. Officials also found other clusters in houses of worship, malls and health facilities.

Anies started transition large-scale social distancing from June 5, then extended the policy twice in July. Jakarta reported 20,769 Covid-19 cases. The pandemic killed 821 people, whle 12,801 others have recovered from the pandemic.

(Writer: Ryana Aryadita Umasugi | Editors: Sandro Gatra, Sabrina Asril)

Sources: 

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/07/30/19075181/kembali-perpanjang-psbb-transisi-anies-kondisi-jakarta-belum-alami?page=all#page2. 

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/07/30/14014291/psbb-transisi-jakarta-berakhir-hari-ini-apa-yang-terjadi-selama-55-hari?page=all#page2.